COMMENT | In commemorating the International Migrants Day, which falls on Dec 18 every year, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) would like to reiterate its call for the government and business entities to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers in the country, in line with the international human rights standards.

Earlier in July this year, the Human Resources Ministry has indicated that there are approximately 2.1 million documented migrant workers in the country. However, there is no clear data on the number of undocumented migrant workers in the country.

Over the years, Suhakam has received numerous complaints on the alleged human rights violations faced by migrant workers.

Most of the complaints were related to, among others, forced labour, h...